Ex-Governor Slapped with Travel Ban Over Rape Charges

The Seoul Western District Prosecutors' Office slapped former South Chungcheong Province Governor An Hee-jung with a travel ban on Thursday.

A day earlier, prosecutors raided a building in Mapo, Seoul where he allegedly raped his secretary Kim Ji-eun. The building contained the offices of a think tank launched by An, where he stayed whenever he visited Seoul.

An's belongings had been spirited out several hours before the raid. But CCTV footage reportedly shows An entering the building at night on Feb. 24 and Kim entering in the early morning on Feb. 25 and leaving a few hours later.

On Thursday, An at the last minute canceled a press conference where he was to have spoken about rape allegations from women who worked for him.

Two hours before the press conference, an aide sent a message to reporters saying An canceled as he thought he should cooperate with the investigation first.

"I was going to apologize to the whole nation and the people of South Chungcheong Province before being questioned by prosecutors," the message read. "I urge prosecutors to summon me as soon as possible."